NASCAR: Stewart/Patrick collision a big hit to Chase chances

Tony Stewart's already dire playoff chances took yet another hit on Monday when he crashed into teammate Danica Patrick in the Axalta 400 at Pocono Raceway.

The crash occurred on lap 93 when Stewart got loose after finding himself in the middle of a three-wide situation with Ricky Stenhouse and Kyle Larson. The three-time Sprint Cup champion spun after getting split by the two younger drivers and collided with the wall directly in front of Patrick.

Related Stories

The contact also forced Patrick into Landon Cassill, as neither had anywhere to go once Stewart lost control of his Chevrolet.

Stewart spent the entire first half inside the top-10 and posted his best qualifying effort of the season (sixth) during Friday's knockout time trial session.

Stewart now finds himself 36th in the championship standings and 71 points behind 30th-place David Ragan. Stewart must win a race and crack the top-30 in the standings before the 26th race of the season in order to qualify for the playoffs in his final season as a Sprint Cup driver.

Stewart, who declined to speak to the media after the race, finished 36th. Patrick and Cassill finished 32nd and 34th, respectively.